The invention relates to an arrangement for the snap connection of a clutch releaser with spring tongue ends of a diaphragm spring in a diaphragm spring clutch of the pulled construction type.
Motor vehicle friction clutches are ordinarily pre-fitted on the engine, while the pertinent clutch releaser is first combined into one unit with the gear. In the case of pulled-type diaphragm spring clutches, in the assembling of engine and gear the releaser must be connected with the spring tongue ends of the diaphragm spring. This connection normally can be produced only with comparative difficulty, since the clutch and the releaser are covered by a bell of the gear box.
It is known from German Patent application No. DE-A-3,415,626 and from German Utility Model No. DE-U-7,325,080 to connect the clutch releaser with the spring tongue ends of the diaphragm spring of the clutch by means of a snap connection in the assembling of engine and gear. The snap connection includes two ring parts, of which a first ring part is secured to the ends of the spring tongues and comprises a radially inwardly protruding first ring stop shoulder directed axially away from the releaser, and a second ring part, which is a component of the releaser, has a radially outwardly protruding second ring stop shoulder directed axially toward the releaser. In the uniting of engine and gear the second ring part is pushed into the first ring part and snaps into the first ring part with the aid of a radially elastic annular component which spreads out in between the two stop ring shoulders.
In the snap connection known from DE-A-3,415,626 the expandable ring part is made as a wire ring which is seated in a ring groove of the second ring part allocated to the releaser and in the bringing together of the two ring parts is forced into the groove until it can snap in behind the stop ring shoulder of the first ring part. The first ring part, connected with the diaphragm spring, has a comparatively complicated form, since further ring shoulders, by means of which the wire ring can be released from the snap connection in dismantlement, must be provided behind the first ring stop shoulder. Entry tapers are provided on the mutually axially facing sides of the two ring parts, and are intended to facilitate the fitting together of the ring parts. Admittedly fitting together is made more difficult by the fact that the wire ring lies freely movably in the groove of the second ring part and before the uniting of the two ring parts lies with its lower half substantially completely out of the groove, by reason of the dimensions necessary for the snap connection, before it is centered and forced into the groove by the entry ramp of the first ring part. This involves the danger that the wire ring may be forced entirely out of the groove by reason of its radially elastic properties, that is to say the snap connection is not effected at all.
In the snap connection according to DE-U-7,325,080 the radially expandable component is made as a sleeve provided with radially resilient tongues. In the case of this snap connection the fitting together of the two ring parts is comparatively difficult by reason of close tolerances, and for the dismantlement an additional wire ring is necessary which surrounds the spring tongues of the sleeve. The wire ring is axially movable in relation to a taper and is capable of pivoting the spring tongues of the sleeve out of engagement.
The invention is directed to facilitate the fitting of the releaser on the spring tongue ends of a pulled-type diaphragm spring clutch with low constructional expense. At the same time it is to be ensured that the snap connection used for this purpose is durable, but is easy to disengage in dismantlement.